(ATR) Banned ski coach Walter Mayer escapes legal trouble, while his defamation suit against WADA President Richard Pound proceeds. Pound calls for flexibility in doping sanctions, and in Athens a trial opens for two sprinters disgraced on the eve of the 2004 Games.

Sprinter Costas Kenteris emerges from an IOC hearing in Athens in August, 2004. (ATR)

Kenteris, Thanou Face Trial

Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou go on trial Jan. 29 in Athens on perjury charges. The two are accused of lying about a motorcycle accident that led to missed doping tests on the eve of the 2004 Olympics.

They resigned from the Greek team, avoiding IOC expulsion. Kenteris had been picked to light the Olympic caldron during opening ceremony until he got snared in the controversy.

The misdemeanor charges carry a maximum sentence of one year. Also on trial is their coach, Christos Tzekos.

Pound Says Flexible Sanctions Possible

The head of the World Anti Doping Agency says more flexibility in penalties and speedier procedure may be the result of changes to the World Anti Doping Code to be considered later this year.

Speaking at a media symposium in Lausanne, Richard Pound says that B samples should be required within 48 hours of an initial positive, followed by a provisional ban from competition if the results are confirmed.

Pound says This would speed things up and an automatic ban would also encourage the faster resolution of any questions that might hang over a particular case."

Pound says he is disappointed with the slow pace of the procedures for Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and Operation Puerto, the nearly year-old Spanish investigation that has yet to lead to charges for any of eight professional cyclists implicated in the investigation.

"I cannot understand how a new season can be about to get under way without any decisions being made," Pound said.

Pound says changes are needed to the anti-doping code that would allow for some flexibility when administering punishment in borderline cases.

We are trying not to weaken our stance, but we feel a bit awkward imposing a two-year ban on someone who, when all is said and done, has not been doping, Pound said.

New proposals are in the hopper for changing the minimum two-year ban, allowing consideration of cases in which substances were taken by accident.

Other changes would lessen sanctions for substances such as cannabis, which is included on WADAs specified substances list but is not considered performance enhancing.

Pound says the concept of strict liability would still apply to those accused of doping: the onus would be

The WADA Symposium was held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. (ATR)

on the athlete to justify to a panel that a lesser sanction is justified, he said.

Pound also noted that in some cases involving steroids or other flagrant abuses of the code a punishment longer than two years is more appropriate.

(Text of speeches and presentations from the Jan. 24 media symposium at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne are available at www.wada-ama.org)

Mayer Case Developments

Notorious Austrian cross country ski coach Walter Mayer will not face charges over his so-called Amokfahrt incident last February when he crashed into a police roadblock in southern Austria after fleeing the Turin Olympics.

Mayer left Turin in a hurry after police raided living quarters of the Austrian team in a search for possible evidence of doping and Mayer. He has been banned from officially attending the Olympics through the 2010 Games after blood doping gear was found in housing of Austrian athletes he coached at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Prosecutors in Austria have declined to prosecute charges against Mayer following a psychiatric report that apparently absolves him of acting in a criminal manner when he crashed his car. Mayer says he panicked when he heard on he radio that he had become a wanted man in the aftermath of the Turin raid.

Italian prosecutors are still investigating the case involving the raids, which als resulted in snap drug tests of 10 athletes rounded-up late one Saturday night during the Games. None of the tests was positive.

Pound Slander Hearing Set for February

While Mayer is off the hook on some of his troubles, he hopes to win a ruling against WADA President Richard Pound on defamation charges.

An Austrian court set a date of Feb. 13 to hear the case, which Mayer began last year soon after his flight from Turin.

Speaking in Lausanne at the WADA symposium, Pound says he was not concerned about the charges and will follow the advice of Austrian counsel. If needed to, Pound says he will appear at the court in Vienna.

Along with Pound, Mayer also sued IOC President Jacques Rogge. A date for a hearing in that case has yet to be set.

Both cases come with the possibility of a fine and a year in jail.

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